Shane Victorino looked like a man who had been beaten up when he sat down to answer questions following Tuesday’s series-clinching victory over the Rays. But despite the physical toll that this season has taken on Victorino, the 32-year-old still had plenty in the tank when it mattered most.
Xander Bogaerts had just scored the tying run with two outs in the seventh inning when Rays reliever Joel Peralta delivered a wild pitch with Victorino at the plate. Victorino gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead by legging out an infield single, and it proved to be the difference, as Boston won 3-1 to advance to the ALCS.
“Obviously when that ball — I put that ball in play, I knew I had to go — I knew it was going to be a tough play with [Yunel] Escobar,” Victorino said. “I knew it wasn’t hit hard enough. I knew [Evan] Longoria couldn’t get to it. It was a matter of me beating Escobar for making the play. And I was able to do that.”
Check out Victorino’s hustle play in the video below.
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